North Queensland playmaker Michael Morgan appears set to be a Cowboy for life and he wants premiership-winning coach Paul Green locked down long-term as well.

While Johnathan Thurston this year will hang up his boots, the future is bright in Townsville with Morgan on Friday signing a five-year NRL contract extension.

With Jason Taumalolo signed up until 2027 and Morgan seemingly set to play out his career at the club he joined as a teenager, the Cowboys are well prepared for the post-Thurston era.

Green is off contract at the end of 2018 and his signature would ensure their premiership window would remain open for years to come.

"I spoke to him through the process and I spoke about what I was thinking and he told me what he was thinking as well," Morgan said of his coach.

"I'm hopeful he'll be around. I know that he wants to stay so, hopefully sooner rather than later, they can get it sorted."

Morgan last year stepped out of Thurston's shadow to cement his status as one of the game's best halves, leading the Cowboys to an unlikely grand-final appearance and starting at five-eighth for Australia during the World Cup.

Thurston's season-ending shoulder injury during State of Origin was supposed to be a death knell for the Cowboys' 2017 campaign.

However, Morgan displayed playmaking nous and game management few knew he possessed to take his side to the season decider.

Cashed-up Sydney clubs had threatened to launch a $1 million-a-season poaching raid to lure Morgan south, however he said he never entertained offers from rival clubs.

"The Cowboys were always my first choice," Morgan said.

"They showed that they were interested. It wasn't a long, difficult process; it was easy for me; I didn't have to do anything except sign my name.

"There weren't a whole lot of clubs I was saying yes or no to. It was literally just working out an agreement with the Cowboys. As long as I was happy with what the offer was and how long the offer was, I was always going to stay."